Portable computing devices have become popular forms of computing systems. Portable computing devices may include handheld computing devices, personal digital assistants (“PDAs”), palmtops, computerized telephones, wireless computing appliances, computerized notebooks, and other such devices. These computing systems typically allow users to access large amounts of information such as an address book, a personal calendar, and a list of to-dos.
Portable computing systems may also include communications equipment configured to retrieve data from remote information sources, such as websites. For example, various software vendors have developed web browsers for Palm OS handheld computing devices. These browsers may provide portable computing devices with fast access to a full range of remote content, such as websites. For example, using a browser and a modem, users of Palm OS handheld computers may access virtually any site on the Internet, not just those sites designed for mobile access. To provide users with a rich, full Internet experience, web browsers for portable computing devices may support color graphics, personalization, bookmarks, and strong security features.
Many remote information sources (e.g., websites) have been designed for display on conventional computing devices. Accordingly, the display of such information sources on portable computing devices may be substandard. In some cases, the portable computing device's display of this remotely originated data may be so poor that the user is unable to interact with the data in a meaningful manner.
FIG. 1A illustrates a web page 110 as it might appear on a conventional computer display monitor 101. The designers of the web page 110 developed the page for display on conventional monitors such as the monitor 101. Accordingly, the web page 110 fits nicely within the boundaries of the display space provided by the monitor 101.
FIG. 1B illustrates how the web page 110 may appear on a portable computing device display monitor 102. The display monitor 102 has different dimensions than the display monitor 101. Moreover, many portable computing device monitors are also smaller than conventional desktop display monitors. Since the web page 110 has been optimized for display on the conventional monitor 101, the web page 110 may have a sub-optimal display on a device with different characteristics. A user of the portable computing device may use a vertical display system comprised of directional arrows 103a, 103b and slider 105a and a horizontal display system comprised of directional arrows 104a, 104b and slider 105b in order to interact with the web page 110. Unfortunately, for some remote data, even vertical and horizontal display systems may be inadequate for enabling the user to make sense of the remote data and interact with it in a timely or meaningful manner.